


Handsome and the Beast

by Kristina_Moon



Category: Beauty and the Beast crossover - Fandom, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Characters are that of Attack on Titans a.k.a. Shingeki no Kyojin, Mentions of sexual encounters, Other, Setting is that of Beauty and the Beast, Spoilers maybe, The first woman named Hanji is a witch, The second woman also named Hanji is her grand daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 20:59:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5263424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kristina_Moon/pseuds/Kristina_Moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger is a Beast!  He insults a witch he just had sex with so she changes him but not only him also his family and friends to keep him from finding someone that loves him to change him back.  That means someone new has to find it in their heart to love him as he is:  a hideous giant with a skeletal mouth and a pissed off attitude.</p><p>Levi rushes home at his uncle Kenny's request.  His mother is deathly ill.  His uncle heads to the Enchanted Forest to seek out a special ingredient known as "Witch's Vein" that draws poison out of a person's body.  Kenny leaves Levi with instructions on how to tend to his mother in his absence.  "I'll only be gone two days, three tops."</p><p>Levi waits and waits and waits for his uncle's return.  Will everything work out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Handsome and the Beast

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is seaturtlebay.tumblr.com  
> Tracking Tag "Fic: HandsomeandtheBeast"
> 
> A/N: "Witch's Vein" is a fictional cure first introduced by Monsoon in her fic "Witch's Vein and Blood Stains". I borrow it for this fic.
> 
> This is my take on 'Beauty and the Beast'. I deviate from that story quite a bit. 
> 
> This story is complete as published. Yes, there is room for a sequel but no plans for one at this time.
> 
> Take care:)

Levi rushes home to find his Uncle Kenny slaving over his Mother Kuchel's prone form. “I came as soon as I got your message,” Levi says, panting in place. “How is she?”

“Not good, kid. I've tried everything I can think of. It's like some sort of curse or something. I'm going to need stronger medicine then what's in my arsenal. Levi, I need to go to the Enchanted Forest. I have to find some 'Witch's Vein' to draw the poison out.”

“I'll do it. Just tell me what you need,” Levi states firmly not willing to risk the only healer within miles when his mother is on her death bed.

“No. I have to do it, son. Gathering 'Witch's Vein' is a tricky thing. If not handled properly, you could wind up ensnared, having your very life force sucked out of you. Here, see that you give her a few drops of this potion every three to five hours. That should hold off any further decay until I get back. Wake her, if you have to but make sure she gets her drops.” Kenny gathers his things for the long journey. “I'll be back in two days, three tops. Watch over her, Levi. I have faith in you,” he says as he turns to don his cloak. With one last look, Kenny leaves their modest dwelling to venture out into the night.

Levi earnestly keeps watch over Kuchel as day one drags into two. He's running low on potion so he begins rationing it, making each drop count as two and each hour count as three. By the fourth day, he's begun watering down the potion hoping that his uncle will walk through their door at any moment. By the fifth day, the potion jar is bone dry and Kuchel opens her eyes to gaze upon her worried son's face. 

“Levi, have you been with me this entire time,” she asks.

“Of course, mom.”

She smiles at that. “You're a good son, Levi. The best. How long have I been out of it?”

“This is day five.” There is a slight nod from his mother. She shifts slightly and Levi knows she is trying to reach for his hand. He grips her hand tightly saying, “Uncle Kenny will be back soon. Please, hold on.”

Kuchel grips his hand as tight as she can and says, “It's okay, Levi. It's time to let go now.”

Levi looks upon his mother's face. A silent tear caresses his cheek as he says, “No. Please, don't leave me. He's coming. I know he is.”

“Sorry, kiddo, but it's my time,” she says softly as her eyes close once more as she slips away.

Levi sits with his mother for two days just holding on to her dead hand. After two days, he gathers her body and buries her beneath the old Maple tree in the garden on the shore of her favorite spot. Two more days pass in silence as he awaits his uncle's return. On the fifth day, Levi resolves to find out what's happened to Kenny. He dons his cloak and sturdy work boots and heads out toward the Enchanted Forest.

The brier bushes are especially thick here yet he can see the trail where someone as recently trespassed. Levi pushes the branches aside with his gloved hand. His small form presses through the hole and into the forest proper. He comes upon a odd sight...something large has intersected with his uncle's trail. Saplings and other trees have been pushed aside or uprooted in it's haste. The trail leads for over a mile towards a rather foreboding looking castle. Levi walks the path uncertain of what he'll find. Only knowing that Kenny's trail ends where this trail begins.

Once he reaches the main gate, Levi pauses. There seems to be no way around the barred entrance. Levi resolves to go over the wall. He begins to climb and hears an angry voice ask, “Who intrudes upon my solitude?”

“Levi, son of Kuchel. I am searching for my uncle Kenny. He was last seen headed into the Enchanted Forest.”

“Then your uncle is a fool!” the voice bellows. “Be gone or face my wrath!”

Not easily discouraged, Levi continues to climb the wall. Once inside the gated perimeter, Levi stealthily approaches one of the side windows. When he touches the pane he hears another voice ask, “Why have you come here, human? You are not welcome here.”

“I have come to inquire about my uncle,” he answers.

“Ah, yes. There is one here that doesn't belong. Proceed,” the voice says as it opens the window up for him.

Levi continues unimpeded through the grand hall. He keeps to the shadows and is impressed by the size of the walls, height of the ceilings, everything is oversized as though made for a giant. He comes across another oddity when he bumps into one of the side tables. “Hello,” a voice says. “Are you looking for the human?” 

“Yes.”

“He is being kept in the cellar,” the table states. “Down the hall and to the left.”

“Um, thank you, I guess,” Levi says finding it odd talking to a table.

“Don't thank me, sir. You'll never escape with your life,” the table insists.

Levi moves quickly over the titled floor. He pulls the heavy door leading to the cellar and transverses the steps in record time. When he arrives, the scene before him is gruesome. The air is musty, the walls mold covered, and everything is foul smelling. At the far end of the hall is a large cell. It is filled with straw and hidden in the gloom is his uncle Kenny. 

“Kenny...Kenny, are you alright,” Levi asks in a hushed whisper.

“Levi? Oh my god, Levi, run! Leave this place before it comes back!”

“Before what comes back,” Levi asks as he watches Kenny's eyes grow open wide in fear. He feels heavy, bated breath breathing on his back, down his neck. As he turns, he hears the most godawful noise hissed at him. Levi has never seen anything so horrifying in his life! A true to life giant stands before him. The lip-less beast is glaring at him, locking him in place. “Fuck,” he hiss to himself just before everything goes dark.

*

Levi groans against the candle light. He opens his eyes slowly to see what he would call a marionette toy administering a wet clothe to his forehead. “Oh, thank goodness you're alright,” the doll says when he sees that his eyes are open. 

“What happened?”

“You fainted,” the doll insists. Seeing the scowl on Levi's face it says, “Don't worry. I nearly fainted too the first time I seen Eren transformed.”

“Eren? You mean to tell me that that thing has a name?”

“Of course, we all do. Prince Eren...”

“Armin,” the doll hears inside his head, “too much information. Just give the intruder his dinner and leave.” It's been a lifetime since Armin's had a proper conversation and unlike the rest of the household, he's dying for news of the outside world. Kenny flatly refused saying only that he needed to go but this man...perhaps...

“I'm Armin, by the way. Armin Arlert and the Titan is my best friend since childhood Eren Jaeger. Then there is...”

“You know, doll, I don't really care,” Levi states in a bored tone. Armin looks back at the man as his little wooden bottom lip begins to quiver. Seeing this Levi asks, “What's wrong?”

“Please, don't push me away. It's been so long since I've spoken to a real person.”

After a long, contemplative pause Levi says, “Fine. Speak but I got to tell you, now that I'm your prisoner, I'm not all that sociable.”

“Oh, you're not our prisoner. Not really. I mean, yes, you did come into our home uninvited but I suppose you were here to see our real prisoner. I'm certain even Eren will allow visitation rights.”

Levi scoffs at that. “Fine so what am I then?”

“Our guest?” the doll questions not certain itself. “I'm not sure.”

“So I'm free to go then?” Levi asks.

“Well, you can leave but you would need to promise no retribution on your part. I mean, you would most likely be welcome back for visitations, of course, but no trying to free our prisoner by force or, um...well, Eren wouldn't like that.”

“What is my uncle Kenny's crime exactly?”

“Trespassing, theft, and attacking the prince,” the doll states.

“Your prince wouldn't happen to be that extra large, over-sized monster, would it?” The toy hesitates. “That's what I thought,” Levi adds while sitting up. “Listen, how do I convince your prince to let my uncle go? He was trespassing in order to find 'Witch's Vein' to help heal my mother. I suspect that's what the theft is about also and as for attacking that thing, well, that was most likely a normal reaction to being captured.”

“'Witch's Vein' to heal your mother? You mean that your uncle is some sort of wizard?”

“No, just a healer and he is needed back in our village. What would it take to gain his freedom?”

Armin hears Eren's voice say, “I'm not releasing the trespasser, Armin. You heard what he called me!”

“But he came here to gather herbs,” the doll argues. “'Witch's Vein' is very potent and is used to suck out poison. This man's mother must be very ill. That's something I know you can relate to, Eren. After all, what you said to that witch is what got all of us in this mess in the first place.”

“I said, 'No!',” it hears the Titan shout so the doll nods his head. It looks into the eyes of their guest saying, “I'm afraid Eren is adamant about keeping your uncle here. I am sorry about that but with your permission, I shall visit your mother and administer her aid.”

“No,” Levi says softly. “That won't be necessary any longer. She died last week.”

Armin gasps. He realizes had they not captured Kenny... Armin gets up abruptly. He can't take it. His heart is breaking. So much pain. There is too much pain in this world. “I'm sorry,” it says right before turning to leave.

“Hey, Armin, you can visit with me again, if you like,” Levi says. The little yellow head nods as it quickly leaves.

*

Levi looks about his room at his dinner. “Go on,” he hears a tiny voice say, “It's really good. I had some myself.” Over in the corner, he sees a pair of beady little brown eyes gazing back at him. “Go on,” the mouse continues, “I rolled the squash in from the garden myself,” it says.

“You helped gather the vegetables for my dinner,” he questions.

“Sure. The ones in the house proper do not need to eat so fixing meals is something fairly new to them. Connie, Jean, and myself still need to eat so we are the best ones to help out in the kitchen,” the mouse quips. 

“And you are?”

“Oh, goodness. Where are my manners? My name is Sasha. Sasha Blouse. I was once human like yourself and I was always hungry. Being a mouse means I have lots and lots of food to keep me happy. To be honest, I'm probably the only happy one around here, though. Well, Connie has his days too but Jean...well, lets just say good old 'horse-face' finally lives up to his name,” she quips.

“'Horse-face'?”

“Yes, his face was always long like a horse's face. Now, he is the horse! Oh, god how we laughed when it first happened. We thought the effects would have worn off long ago though, but the witches' curse is a strong one.”

“What exactly is this curse you all have been telling me about?”

“Oh, well, you see ages ago before when we were still human, our master Prince Eren's mother fell ill. He summoned all of the best healers for miles to help heal her. No one was able to. He finally found a witch named Hanji...” 

At hearing the utterance of her name, a horrifying hiss enters Sasha's little brain. She squeaks in agony as she hears a voice bellow, “I told you never to mention that witch again!”

The mouse cowers in the corner for a moment before telling Levi, “Try the soup. It's really good,” as she runs off.

Levi picks up the bowl with some trepidation but does try the soup. It is really good. He finishes the entire bowl. With his belly warm, Levi decides to make the best of his situation. He wraps his cloak about him and falls fast to sleep.

*

The following morning, Levi heads out towards the stable. It's a beautiful day for a ride and he's tired of gazing at the dank corridors and dusty tapestries of the castle proper. When he arrives, his eyes quickly land on a golden stallion. Walking up to the horse, he lifts his hand to his mane and says, “My, you're a handsome fellow, aren't you?”

“Oh, god, don't tell him that,” the billy goat nays, “I'll never hear the end of it!”

“Shut up, Connie,” the horse says. Nuzzling his nose against Levi's shoulder he says, “Go on. You were saying...”

Levi chuckles then saying, “Oh, you must be Jean. The little mouse Sasha told me about you. Would you like to get out of this musty old stable and go for a run?”

“With you on my back?”

“Of course,” Levi quips like it's the most natural thing in the world. “Ah, but first let me polish this old saddle,” he adds while finding what he needs to do the job sitting right on the shelf. Levi burnishes the leather until it gleams. Next, he gets the bridle and harness down off the wall and places the bit in the horse's mouth before adding the rest of the tackle. “Ready?”

“Ass owl ebber be,” Jean quips around the bit. Levi mounts him in one graceful swoop and jabs him lightly in his lower flank to get him moving. “Ay, juss telw me whewe oo un ta go.”

“Sorry, I forgot you understand English. The pasture out back looks like a good location. Head there,” Levi says and with a nod of his head, Jean takes off sprinting. 

“Wait for us,” they hear the goat nay once they head out. “Grab on, Sasha,” the goat tells the mouse before he takes off after the other two.

Sasha is laughing up a storm by the time they reach where Levi and Jean are located. She jumps down off of Connie's back, racing towards them. Levi has removed Jean's bit and is watching him gorge on the fresh, green grass. “Damn, this is sweet,” Jean gasp between mouthfuls. “So good!”

Connie takes a bite and is blown away by the taste. “So much better than that musty old hay they keep feeding us,” he adds.

Levi sits down on the bank by the river and gazes out across the stream. The little mouse runs up to him and Levi looks down when he feels her pulling on his sleeve. “I can finish that story now, if you wish.”

“Please do,” Levi says as he places her on his lap to listen. 

“Let's see, oh yeah, the witch which I cannot name came to help as well. Witches aren't exactly known for their mercy but this one still came to offer up her assistance. Prince Eren was leery at first but seeing his mother still declining, he relented and allowed the witch to examine her. The witch told him that she would need several ingredients that only he could provide. Those being: saliva, sweat, and...” the mouse leans in slightly whispering, “semen.”

She looks around to see if Jean or Connie are listening in yet they are happy to be gorging themselves and are oblivious to her tale.

“So Prince Eren had sex with the witch which helped give her all that she required. But once the ingredients were collected she said, 'Pay me and I will complete this potion.' Prince Eren was offended that the witch demanded payment before his mother was well so she told him, 'The potion is free but the sex, I get paid for.' He said, 'I don't pay for sex, you bitch!' and that's when she said, 'I also require blood then' and she quickly pricked his finger and dropped a couple of drops into the mix. She drank the potion herself and that's when she placed a curse on all of us. You see, it was blood magic. A special type of magic that needs to be undone by breaking the curse or casting a reversal spell by the spell maker, or their lineage.”

“What is required to break this curse,” Levi asks.

“Well, that's the problem. The curse can only be broken if Prince Eren finds someone that can love him as he is. In his Titan form, that is. If not, then all of us are stuck this way.”

“But why did she curse you as well?”

“We are his friends and family. Those that already love him as he is and wouldn't need to find some other reason to love him, thus, any one of us could undo the curse. No, the spell can only be broken by an outsider. She made certain of that.”

“Who could love a monster like that? All it ever does is hiss at me.”

“Oh, um, that hissing you hear is him talking,” Sasha states. “It only sounds like noise to you, huh? Curious. I suppose the witch didn't want him gaining sympathy from a traveler and gaining his freedom through pity.”

“Do you have any idea what happened to this witch?”

“She left. None of us know where to or how to find her or we would. Believe me, I like not being hungry all the time but I really liked having a boyfriend that was the same species as me,” she adds as she looks out toward Jean and Connie.

“The stallion or the goat,” Levi asks.

“The goat. Yep, we were speaking of marriage right before all this went down. Now I can wear my engagement ring as a belt,” she adds sadly. “It looks great but, well, it's sort of stupid for a mouse to wear a gold belt.” Levi nods in agreement. 

A moment later both the horse and the goat join the two of them. Levi places his hand on the horse's mane again once Jean is comfortably lying against Levi's hip and begins absently running his hand through his hair. Jean releases a contented sigh. The goat lays next to Levi's other side as Sasha runs down Levi's thigh to hop on her mate's back. The four of them begin to nod off.

A few minutes later, they are awaken by the sound of heavy footfalls. Something big is coming at them fast!

Levi is on his feet in a heartbeat. In the distance he sees it. The Titan is running right toward them and he doesn't look too happy either. Levi stands his ground as the Titan comes to a sliding halt, his feet digging trenches in the dirt. The great beast begins to hiss at him menacingly again. When he is through, Levi holds up his hand saying, “I am told that that is your way of communicating but I have to tell you that all I hear is a hissing noise. No words but it seems clear that you're pissed about something. Let me guess. You're pissed that I left the castle without telling you?”

The Titan just glares at him.

“No. Okay. You're pissed that you weren't invited to join us?”

The Titan continues to glare at him.

“He's pissed that you stole horse-face,” the goat nays.

Levi laughs at that saying, “You think I stole your horse? Wow, okay. No, I just borrowed him for a little while. I asked him if he minded. He said that he didn't.”

The Titan starts hissing up a storm again.

“Listen. I already said that I can't understand what you're trying to say...”

“That's just it,” Sasha says, “He wants to know why you can understand all of us but not him.”

“Oh, well, your friend here has an interesting theory about that,” Levi adds while indicating Sasha and she relays her theory directly into Eren's brain.

“Fucking witch,” he hisses and Levi looks at him shrewdly. 

“If I didn't know better, and I don't, I would say you just called that witch a name or at least just cursed her.”

The Titan nods frantically. Finally, something he said got through. 

“That's what I thought. Well, you can have your horse back now, if you want. Personally, I don't like being cooped up inside when it's so nice outside. May I have a visitation with my uncle out here maybe tomorrow?”

The Titan starts hissing again. 

Jean says, “He's calling your uncle a bunch of names. I don't think he'll let you visit with him outside...ever.”

“Then can I at least visit with him inside my room? Or better still just tell me what I can do to get him released?”

The Titan starts stomping around at that. The earth trembles so greatly that Levi stumbles and nearly falls. 

“Hey, colossal ass-wipe, are you trying to kill us,” Jean shouts up at Eren. That gets the Titan's attention. He stops in mid-stomp realizing the deep hole he's pounded himself into. The Titan climbs out of the hole then uses his gigantic hands to fill the dirt back in. “That's better. Now apologize to Sasha. You nearly scared her to death.”

The Titan does seem genuinely worried when he looks over at the goat. Sure enough the tiny mouse is holding on to her partner's fur for dear life. A sad hiss leaves his throat. 

“I know, Eren. I know but your temper is sort of the reason we're all in this mess,” Sasha says softly. “I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying is all.”

The Titan nods then turns to head back to the castle.

“You could join us, you know,” Levi adds as an afterthought. The Titan looks at the human like he's grown another head. “Or not,” Levi adds with a shrug as he sits down beside Jean again and begins to stroke his mane once more. Jean looks too smug for Eren's taste. Perhaps if he did join them it would irk the horse just enough to wipe that smug look off his abnormally long face. Making certain that Connie and Sasha are not beneath his colossal ass, the Titan does sit with the others by the river bank. The sun feels so warm, so good on his skin that soon the Titan is laying down on the grassy incline, snoring.

*

After watching the sunset, Levi gets up, dust himself off and says, “I'm going to head back now. Jean, you'll have to come too, since I need to remove your saddle and harness. Sasha, would you mind waking 'sleeping beauty'? I don't want to be swatted like a fly.”

“Sure. I wake Eren all the time,” she says as waits for the others to head off before screaming in the Titan's ear, “Wake up!” She runs off laughing like a loon. The Titan's head pops up and he blinks a few times. He looks around himself and finds that he's alone. He looks back towards the castle and sees the rest of the crew heading homeward. He smiles to himself when he realizes they didn't just leave him here by himself. Then he sees the way pony boy nudges Levi's shoulder and he gets instantly pissed. “He's suppose to fall in love with me, horse-face,” he hisses.

Jean glances back thinking, “Not 'in love', you dope. He just needs to love you. Like a brother.”

“Still...” Eren hisses back at him.

“You're just jealous that he thinks I'm handsome,” Jean gloats.

“He'd like me better, too, if I wasn't a fucking giant!”

“That no lip skeleton grin doesn't help either,” Connie quips at the two of them. 

Sasha laughs and Levi asks, “What's so funny?”

“Oh, sorry, sir. Just a private conversation between us creatures,” she states. 

“Ah, so that's how you do it. I was wondering how you all seem to know what each other is thinking. You can hear one another's thoughts, can't you?”

“Yes. Very astute,” Armin chimes in when he hears this. He's been waiting by the stables for some time now. “I wondered where you all were,” he adds with a lilt to his voice. “Even Eren? Well, this is a surprise,” he adds when he sees the Titan looming in the distance. 

Once they're back inside the building, Levi removes the tackle and rubs Jean's coat down for good measure. “Jean, lift up your left hoof.” When he does Levi says, “You need your nails done. I'll get some oil, a rasp, and the hoof knife. You really don't want them splitting. Especially with my added weight.” Levi begins cleaning the underside of Jean's hooves, the files them down and smooths 'em, then applies a good oil to keep them from getting brittle. It takes almost thirty minutes per hoof yet Jean greatly appreciates the help.

“Thank you.”

“Tomorrow, I'll give you a proper grooming,” Levi states. “Your mane and tail both need some TLC.”

Just then, high on the shelf, Levi spies the biggest, hairiest looking spider he's ever seen. He moves his hand towards the riding crop hanging on the wall and hears, “You do that and it will hurt you more than it does me,” the spider states as it raises up on its hind legs and crosses its front legs over what would be a human's chest.

“Oh, wow,” Levi says, stumped. “You're a former human too, huh?”

“That's right so don't to getting any ideas,” she hisses.

“Mikasa, you're back,” Sasha says while quickly scaffolding the wall to greet her friend properly.

“I never really left, Sasha. I've just been hanging out in dark corners. You should know I'd never leave Eren.”

Levi smirks at that saying, “So you got a thing for the big guy, huh?”

“He's my brother,” she states firmly. 

“Good to know. I don't think he would have liked me squashing you then.”

“I'm very quick,” she states. “I do bite and I can hide in very tight crevices.” Levi nods at the challenge. 

Turning to Armin Levi asks, “Who else might I encounter during my stay? There isn't a mosquito that used to be his butler or a snake that was once his aunt, is there?”

The little wooden head thinks for a moment then says, “There's Krista, she's the house. Ymir, she's the gate. Annie, she's the side table. Reiner, he's the hedge maze. Berthold, he's...I forget. What is Berthold again?”

“Come to think of it, I don't remember since he stopped conversing so long ago,” Connie adds. “But I remember it was a piece of furniture, I think.”

“And there's Mikasa, she's a spider. Me, of course, I'm a doll. Eren's the Titan. Connie's the goat. Sasha's a mouse. And then there's Jean the horse.”

That's when Eren makes a quip about Jean always being a horse and Jean replies, “Well, it's better than being an ass.”

“I know this might dampen the mood but what ever became of Eren's mother? She was sick but did the witch cure her at least,” Levi asks.

“We don't know what happened to her,” Armin states. “Most of us were turned right where we were, wearing what we were. I was in the pantry, cleaning out the closest when I got changed.”

“I was in the kitchen cooking dinner,” Sasha adds.

“I was with her,” Connie admits.

“I was in the barn putting away some tools,” Jean adds. “Where were you, Mikasa?”

“By my mother's bedside waiting for a potion that never came,” she adds bitterly.

“And of course Eren...” Armin begins.

“Eren was insulting a woman who happened to be a witch who he just had sex with,” Jean adds. “Man, why couldn't you just have paid her?”

“I don't pay for sex,” the Titan hisses. “It's not right.”

“A good lot of good your 'honor' has done for us,” Mikasa adds. “Shit, I would have paid her myself if I knew she could do this. Look at me. I'm scary as fuck!”

“Oh, you were probably scary before the curse,” Levi adds quickly. Yes, the spider creeps him out, too, but her persona clearly belies her true nature. Each of theirs does. Armin the doll...the witch must have favored him. Sasha the mouse, always scurrying this way or that. Connie the goat, stubborn or comical possibly. Jean the stallion...he must have made a real impression. Krista the house...either a very large or very small persona. Ymir the gate, barring the entrance with her mere presence. Annie the table, must have seemed flat and uncaring. Reiner the maze, obvious contradiction in his persona and then there's Eren the Titan...the beast...the insulter of women he's just fucked. What an colossal ass! Yes, Levi can see each of them fitting their altered images perfectly.

Levi yawns. “Well, I've had a strange day. Tomorrow, Eren, I'd like to parlay with you on behalf of my uncle. Armin, will you be his interpreter?”

“Sure.”

“Good. Good night all,” Levi states as he heads back into the main house. 

“Eren, Kenny has a cold. I heard him sneezing again this morning,” Armin adds. “You need to consider moving him to a warmer location.”

“You want me to give a trespasser, thief, attacker, and liar better accommodations inside my house?”

“If he dies, Levi won't soon forget that. He's already dealing with the loss of his own mother, Eren. And that's partly our fault for holding Kenny since he was only trying to gather medicine to save his sister's life.”

“Like I knew why he was here. For all I know, he could be after the reward on my head,” Eren adds. “No. He stays where he is at least until after Levi and I speak tomorrow. Perhaps concessions will be made after that.”

Sasha sighs.

“What?”

“It's good that you're at least considering adding concessions,” she states.

“Well, he's not going to fall in love with me if I'm a total dick to him,” Eren adds.

Then he hears all of them say, “Not 'in love', Eren.”

“Whatever,” the Titan adds as he rolls his gigantic eyes.

*

The following morning Sasha works diligently to bring Levi and Kenny a good meal. She gathers wild onions, rice, beans, and corn from the garden and with Connie's help, and the satchel around his neck, they manage to bring all these ingredients to Armin. Armin makes them into a good lunch for their 'guest' and allows Levi to follow him into the cellar to eat once more with his uncle. 

Kenny looks bad. He's unbathed, unshaven, and very sick by this point. His murky eyes look up at Levi from his place in the straw. “You're still here,” he says in surprise.

“Of course. I'm not leaving until you're released or they throw me out,” Levi explains.

“How have you not run away, kid? That thing scares the shit out of me and if I had the chance, I'd run from here.”

“You may get your chance. Prince Eren has agreed to a parlay with me for your release. If all goes well, you'll be walking out of here by evening.”

“You do know that when I was captured, I sliced that thing's throat. There was so much blood but then its skin started to smolder and heal right before my eyes. It can't be killed, Levi. Not by conventional means at least. If I get out of here, there's no way I'm ever coming back.”

They eat their meal in silence. Kenny coughs up some phlegm a few times and, having nowhere else to put it, spits it into the corner with his other feces. 

Finally Levi says, “I don't smell urine. Where do you piss?”

“There's a little hole over in the corner. I aim for that. I suppose I'm pissing down the side of the castle's wall. It's kind of my retribution for being locked in here,” the old man says with a crooked smile. Levi just shakes his head. “Levi, thank you for not giving up on me,” Kenny adds gratuitously. “I do appreciate the effort even if it doesn't work.”

“It will work, uncle. I promise you that,” Levi adds in stern determination. “It will work.”

Once their meal is complete, Levi heads back up to the main room in search of the Titan. Eren is seated on the grand sofa, waiting. Levi bows in submission saying, “Prince Eren, I humbly come before you to ask for the release of my uncle Kenny Ackerman. I know he's wronged you, but I ask for your mercy in this matter.”

Armin stands beside Eren, awaiting his replay. Eren hisses, “That asshole tried to kill me! Why should I release him?”

Armin interprets this to mean, “Your Uncle Kenny assaulted his grace. Why should he be released?”

“He had only come here to secure ingredients to cure my mother's illness. Please, your grace, he is the only family I have left.”

Eren hisses, “He cut me, Levi. If he's released, he may try to kill me again. Why should I take that chance?”

Armin states, “His grace asks that if your uncle is released that there is no retribution for his passed imprisonment. How can you guarantee this?”

“By offering myself up in his place. Keep me and release him. He won't try anything if he knows my life is on the line,” Levi adds firmly.

“You would do that,” Armin asks stunned.

“Of course. He is my family after all. He's like a father to me. Not a great father, I grant you, but he was there for me when no one else was. Please, Prince Eren, take me instead. I promise on my honor that I won't try to escape.”

Eren is just as taken by Levi's offer to sacrifice himself for his uncle's release that he sits gazing at this man in disbelief. Clearly Armin hears, “It's a trick. They are planning something. I knew I should have never left them alone together.”

Armin looks up at the Titan then back at Levi still bowed in submission. He places his little wooden hand on Eren's saying, “No. This is no trick, my prince. This is love in it's purest form.”

“Fine. He goes. You stay,” Eren hisses. “But that means you are my prisoner now and shall be treated as such.”

Armin gasp. “No, your grace. Please. Don't imprison him.”

Levi stands then saying, “I accept your judgment, my prince. Thank you.”

Levi is taken to the cellar. He smiles at Kenny saying, “You're free to leave, uncle.”

“What? We can leave?”

“No. Not 'we'. Just you.”

Armin says, “Your nephew has offered himself up in your place. You are free to leave,” he adds as he unlocks the cell door.

“Levi, you can't do this. I'm an old man. You have your entire life ahead of you.”

“It will be okay, uncle. Trust me.”

“I...I don't know what to say?” Kenny mumbles. “No one's ever done anything like this for me before. Thank you,” he says while hugging Levi tightly in his arms. Kenny feels a slight shift under his cloak and realizes Levi has just slipped something into his pocket. He looks into the kid's eyes for a moment and sees a look of determination there that is so earnest, it makes his heart ache.

“Good bye,” Levi says finally as he takes his place inside the cell. Armin locks the door behind him. He leads Kenny up the stairs and through the castle.

When they reach the front door the little wooden head says, “You shall find a golden stallion waiting for you at the gate. He will carry you as far as the edge of the Enchanted Forest but no further since he is bound by the curse to remain within the grounds. Good bye, Mr. Ackerman. I hope your stay hasn't been too horrible.”

“My stay? You act as if this is some sort of fucking resort. Kid, if I wasn't such a coward, I'd kill your prince and burn this shit-hole to the ground!”

“According to the agreement between your nephew Levi and Prince Eren, you are honor bound not to retaliate against us for your imprisonment. Remember, Prince Eren holds your nephew's life in his hands.”

“Ah, but I didn't agree to any such thing,” Kenny says with a smirk. “Good day, kid,” he states as he walks towards the horse which is both saddled and waiting for him. The gate opens freely at his appearance as Kenny quickly mounts the horse and rides away.

Once they reach the edge of the forest Jean says, “Sorry, sir, but this is all the farther I can carry you.”

“That's alright, kid. You've saved me many steps. Thanks.”

“You're welcome,” Jean adds as he turns to leave. 

Once the horse is out of sight, Kenny reaches into his pocket and pulls out the note Levi gave him. It reads: “Find the witch named Hanji. She is the only one that can reverse the spell and earn my release but BE CAREFUL. She's the one that transformed all these people in the first place.”

Kenny looks back the way he came. He truly meant it when he said he'd leave and never come back. Now that Levi's life is on the line, he's not certain he can keep that promise.

“A witch named Hanji,” he mutters to himself before heading for home to shit, shower, and shave.

*

Levi looks around at his cell. There's shit and phlegm and something he hopes is not jizz plastered all over the floor plus piss in and near the corner. Let's face it, Kenny doesn't have the best aim when he's sick. Levi starts stacking the bales that are still intact then he hears the little footfalls of his muse Armin. “Hey, Armin, could you get me some water?”

“Sure. Right away,” the little wooden head says before reaching the final step. Armin scurries up the steps. When he enters the kitch, he reaches up to the shelf with the glass cups then he primes the pump and fills the glass with cold water. It takes him a few minutes to transverse the stairs while holding on to the glass but once he's on the stone flooring, he hurries with his prize to their captive. “Here you are, Levi, sir,” he says while handing the glass through the bars.

Levi looks at the outstretched hand and smiles, “Thanks, Armin,” he says before drinking it down, “but what I actually wanted was a bucket of water to clean up this cell. You're a bit small to bring me a bucket so how about a pan of water? I would ask you to heat it but I don't want you to burn yourself.”

“Oh, I've set myself on fire plenty of times,” he says with a smile. “But you see, I don't ever burn. Part of the magic, I suppose.”

“I see. Then would you bring me water in as big a pot as you can carry? This place is filthy.”

“Absolutely, sir, Levi.”

“You can just call me 'Levi'. You don't have to be so formal,” he adds with a smile. Armin nods then takes the empty glass and heads back up the steps.

When he brings the pail, he sets it down since he has to unlock the cell to give it to their prisoner. Levi grabs hold of the pail and without thinking lifts it high above the floor before Armin has released his hold on it. Armin is dangling from the handle when Levi starts to pour the water over the worst of the mess. He stops in mid motion and the force carries Armin through, thus, dropping him right into the big pile of shit.

“Armin! Are you alright,” Levi asks while quickly lowering the pail to the floor and rushing to his side. He slips on the shit and lands on top of the little wooden doll. “I'm so sorry,” Levi says as he rises off of the doll. He runs his hand over Armin's head to be certain he isn't broken and that's when it happens...Armin is transformed back into a human! “Holy shit!” Levi says while standing up quickly. 

Armin smile up at him asking, “What? What's wrong?” Armin stands, looking about himself to be certain his arms and legs are still attached. That's when he realizes he's taller than Levi. He's covered in shit but he doesn't care one bit. He's human again and he starts laughing. “Thank you, Levi, sir...err, Levi!” he says as he rushes over to hug the man tightly. “I'll bring you buckets and buckets of water.”

Armin rushes off to fetch the water and in his haste he forgets to lock the cell door. Levi is busy making a makeshift broom out of straw, bail twine, and a tree branch that was poking through the window when Armin returns. He sees that the door to the cell is standing wide open yet their prisoner has not tried to leave. 

Cautiously he approaches saying, “Why...why didn't you try to escape?”

Levi looks over at him. He smirks saying, “I gave my word, Armin. And it's obvious that I can reverse the spell so it doesn't seem fair to gain my freedom in exchange for your safety.”

“Then there's no need to keep you in the cellar. If you're honor will keep you here, you don't need to be behind locked doors. Come, I'll fix a room for you...”

“But I haven't finished cleaning the cell yet. It still needs to be scrubbed. You never know when you may have need of it again.”

“Then I'll help you,” Armin states resolutely. 

Levi looks over at the young blonde saying, “That will work just fine.”

They continue to work on cleaning the cell, then the hall, and finally the steps. Once they're back to the top of the stairs Armin says, “I'm bushed. And hungry. I haven't been hungry in ages.”

“Then we'd better find you something to eat,” Levi states. “Since you got the worst of it, why don't you go shower first while I'll get dinner started.”

When Levi enters the kitchen both Sasha and Connie are waiting with a full satchel of food. “You're in luck,” Sasha says, “We managed to find some potatoes, cucumbers, and even a nice fat squash. Plus the normal rice, beans, and corn. Oh, and of course the wild onions.”

“This is perfect. Thank you.”

Armin arrives a few minutes later and Sasha gasps when she first sees him in his human form. “Armin?”

“Yes. Isn't it wonderful? Levi managed to changed me back. I can't wait until the rest hear about this.”

“I'm jealous,” Connie says. “Happy for you, of course, but jealous.”

“Oh, my. I didn't think of that. Eren might not like that I've been changed and he's still stuck...” Just then they hear the Titan approaching. Levi's busy rinsing the potatoes off in the sink when the Titan enters. 

He hisses saying, “What the fuck, Armin? Why is Levi up here and you human?”

Armin looks at his best friend but he can't understand him. All he hears is a hissing noise. “Oh, my god. I...I don't know what he's saying. When I was transformed, I must have lost my ability to understand you, Eren,” he says while reaching up and placing his hand on the Titan's hand. “Levi's concern for me has transformed me into a human. I'm sorry, dear prince, but I don't know what you're saying.”

Just then they hear a surly voice say, “He wants to know why his prisoner is standing in the kitchen covered in shit.”

Armin looks toward the voice and sees that big, hairy spider glaring back at him. “Holy shit,” Armin squeaks. “Sorry. It's just that you scared me, Mikasa.”

“Now that you're human again, you're going to revert back into your old self,” she asks. “Typical.”

“Well, in my own defense you are scary,” he states adamantly. “And as for your prisoner, Eren, he could have escaped when I forgot to lock the cell door. Instead he chose to honor his agreement so I don't see any reason to keep him behind bars.” Armin turns toward Levi saying, “Why don't you go shower? I set some of my old clothes out for you. They might be a little big but they should work.”

“So you're running things now, huh,” the Titan hisses.

“Armin has always ran things,” Connie nays and Sasha nods her head in agreement. Levi skirts passed the Titan to take Armin up on his offer as the blonde begins to set the pots on to boil. One for the potatoes, one for the corn, and a skillet for the onions.

He ignores the glares he's getting from his two best friends in favor of getting dinner ready since he is starving. “Sasha, could you and Connie see if you can find some other herbs. Maybe mint, parsley, oregano near the fence, and possibly lavender or rosemary?”

“Ooo, a scavenger hunt,” Sasha states. “Lets go, Connie. I think I know where some wild bay leaves grow as well.”

“Mikasa, do you mind interpreting what Eren says to me from now on? I don't want to ignore my prince but his hissing is sort of irritating,” Armin admits.

Eren stomps his foot and they hear Krista say, “Easy, big fellow. I'm only made of stone.”

Sasha and Connie return about fifteen minutes later and she says, “I didn't find the bay leaves but we did find some wild garlic. And some tea leaves to go with the mint.”

“Perfect. Thank you both,” Armin adds quickly. Just then Levi returns freshly showered. 

He asks, “Can I help?”

“Sure. Here, you mince the garlic while I get the squash roasting.” Levi nods. 

“Tomorrow, we should start cleaning the upstairs. That bathroom needs work,” Levi adds.

“Okay,” Armin agrees as he smile over at the raven haired man. 

“Eren...Prince Eren,” Levi begins again, “would you be willing to help with the ceilings in this place? You're the best one equipped to handle them. With your height and large hands...” he begins to say, but the Titan is already walking away.

“He doesn't like being reminded that he's a giant,” Connie adds. 

“Hey, if I was his height, I'd take advantage of that,” Levi quips. “I'm sure those fruit trees out in the garden have plenty of ripe fruit just bursting with flavor in their canopies. Of course for me to reach it, I'd have to climb and risk breaking something in a fall. All he has to do is stretch a bit and grab them.” Eren still hears this, of course, and even though he's the prince and manual labor is beneath him, he chooses to put that aside in order to placate their 'prisoner'. 

Taking the biggest basket he can find, Eren goes outside to the peach trees and begins plucking the fruit off the top of the trees. He loads the basket down then leaves it by the kitchen door for Armin to find. 

They have potatoes with a cucumber salad. Iced mint tea. Squash infused with rosemary and peach cobbler for desert. Food never tasted so good to Armin! 

As they're washing the dishes together, Armin reaches above Levi's head to put one of the large serving plates away. Levi automatically looks up when he sees something in his upper peripheral vision. His lips brush against Armin's cheek quite by accident yet Armin blushes profusely. 

“An accident,” Levi assures the blonde as he continues scrubbing the pot he's working on. 

“Oh,” is Armin's only reply. Levi hands the clean pot over to Armin for him to dry it when their hands touch. Levi looks into Armin's eyes noticing that the blonde isn't blushing this time but rather gazing back at him intensely. Those blue eyes shift to Levi's lips and they hear, “Are we interrupting something?”

Armin looks down to see both the goat and the mouse gazing up at them curiously. “No!” Armin says while turning away and blushing. “We're just doing the dishes.”

“Uh, huh,” Sasha squeaks. 

“What did I miss?” Mikasa's voice asks from above them near the window.

“Not sure,” Connie states, “but it looked pretty interesting.”

“Listen you three...could you just not mention anything to Jean or Eren,” Armin asks.

“Ooo, so there is something going on,” Sasha asks. “Well, let's have it.”

“Sasha,” Levi states, “did you two want anything?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry. Armin, you asked me to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Does this count?” she asks while handing him a scrap of paper. The newspaper ad reads: Two for one special at Hanji's. Thursdays' is Lady's night. All Lady's get in for free!

“Sasha, this is an ad for some tavern in town. Why did you bring this to me?”

“Look at the club's name,” she quips.

“Hanji's...well, there's bound to be more than one Hanji in the world,” he adds figuring a witch wouldn't waste her time with being a tavern owner.

Of course Armin is right. A witch wouldn't waste her time being a tavern owner but it's a start and that's where Kenny heads. The moment he enters the bar, he's confronted by a rather enthusiastic brunette that says, “Welcome to Hanji's! What will you have?”

“A beer,” he states quickly while laying his money down on the bar. 

“Coming right up,” she says as she reaches for a clean mug and pours him a cold drink. 

When she reaches for his payment, he holds onto the cash a moment saying, “Is the owner here?”

“You're speaking to her.”

“Ah, hello. My name is Kenny and I'm looking for a witch named Hanji. You don't happen to know her by any chance, do you?”

“Oh, honey, there hasn't been a witch in these parts that goes by that name in over fifty years!”

“But you have heard of one then?”

“Yes. She was my grandmother. I'm named after her yet as you can see, I'm no witch. I suppose she was the last of a dying breed.”

“So she's dead?”

“Oh, yes. Nearly fifty three years now. Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. If you don't mind my asking, why did you need her anyway?”

“Well, I have a problem. My nephew has been taken prisoner by a monster she created. The only way to help him is by helping the monster become human again. So you're not magical?”

“I wish,” she adds quickly. “Wow, to have powers that can change humans into monsters and back again? Now that would be something. Not that this isn't an interesting job too,” she adds, “but lets face it, being a bar keep is nothing like being a witch.”

“Would you come with me to the Enchanted Forest anyhow? Maybe just seeing you might make that monster release my nephew.”

“The Enchanted Forest,” an eavesdropper asks, “you'd do well to stay far away from there,” he warns.

Of course his warning is just the type of thing to peak Hanji's interest. 

“Is it dangerous,” she asks as Kenny notes the gleam in her eye.

“Oh, my yes! Only a complete idiot would venture there,” he adds before drinking down the last of his beer. “Well, good night, you two. Keep out of trouble.”

Hanji watches the man go then looks at Kenny saying, “When do we leave?”

*

Hanji and Kenny make their way to the edge of the Enchanted Forest by noon the following day. They pass through the brier bush and head towards the castle. Kenny slows considerably once they reach the spot where he was abducted. Hanji slows as well but her slowing is for an entirely different reason. 

Noticing her panting, Kenny asks, “What's wrong?”

“I...I don't know. It's just really hard to breath now. I...I feel really strange.” They continue to move forward and Hanji states, “I have to stop. Just give me a moment.” 

Kenny does even though he doesn't want to be out in these woods over night. Finally she stands back up and takes a couple of more steps when they hear something crashing towards them. 

“Oh, fuck,” Kenny says as he turns to flee. 

Before he manages to get two steps, a giant hand scoops him up and the monster hisses in his face. The Titan is screaming at him. Shouting, “I told you not to return, damn it! Why have you returned? Who the fuck is this,” he asks while gripping a panting Hanji in his other hand. “Not much in the way of a rescue!”

Hanji starts to groan but the Titan ignores her. He storms back towards the castle complaining the entire way. Hanji finally says, “Oh, god. I'm going to hurl!”

Eren nearly drops her as she turns to squirm away. She does throw up just about the time they reach the castle gate. Hanji is bent over very ill when they rest of the house hold hears Eren shout, “Hey, I need some help out here!”

Hanji passes out just as Armin and Levi burst through the door to see what the Titan is going on about. They stand there gawking as Hanji is lifted up into the air and magically transformed much like they each were all those years ago. Kenny gasps. Eren hisses, “Mother fucker! It's her!”

Armin looks on in wonder. Finally, he approaches the unconscious woman slowly asking, “Who is she, Mr. Ackerman?”

“The witches' grand daughter or so I was told,” Kenny adds a moment later.

The Titan doesn't believe it. He still believes that she's the bitch...witch that put this fucking curse on him and the rest of them. His big hand grabs hold of the bucket near the well and tosses water onto his unconscious victim.

“Eren,” Armin chides. “Go easy on her.”

The Titan scoffs as they hear Hanji groan. She sits up slowly saying, “What happened?” She looks down at her outfit and sees the purple robe. “What the hell happened to my clothes,” she asks. 

“You dropped this,” Armin says while handing her a pointed hat.

“That's not mine,” she adds softly. The Titan hisses at her and she says, “Okay. But it wasn't mine this morning.”

“Wait. Did you understand what he said,” Levi asks.

“Sure. He just told me that it is my hat but I swear this isn't what I was wearing when we started out this morning,” Hanji replies.

“How is it you can understand him,” Armin asks.

“I told you, she's that fucking witch,” Eren quips.

Hanji looks up at the Titan saying, “I've been called a lot of things before in my time, giant, but 'witch'...wait, do I know you," she asks suddenly. She keeps staring up at the monster. His eyes...his eyes look so familiar. “Your eyes are the same color as my mother's eyes,” she says. 

“You say she is the witch,” Levi adds. “And you say this Titan has the same color of eyes as your mother...”

“Oh, my god, Eren, when you two had sex, did you get that witch pregnant,” Armin asks.

“What? No! Of course not!” the Titan states.

Hanji smiles up at him. “Oh, so you're Prince Eren. Yep, mom told me a great deal about you. She said that grandma got the better of you for knocking her up. What happened? A lover's quarrel? Is that why you look like this?”

Everyone is stunned into silence. Then Kenny starts laughing. “Oh, brother,” he adds. Eren growls at him and begins storming towards the castle, clutching the intruder tightly in his hand. “Oh, god not the cellar again,” Kenny adds as his laughter is cut short. “Help, Levi!”

“Hey, blondie, do you have anything to drink,” Hanji asks, “I'm parched.”

“Sure, Ms. Hanji. Right this way,” Armin says as they follow in the Titan's wake. “Are you really Prince Eren's grand daughter?”

“I think so.”

“That must be why the curse also changed you,” Levi adds as he follows behind them. “You are a relative of Eren's yet you are also a relative of your grandmother's. No wonder her spell transformed you into a witch. That way you should be able to undo her spell on you and perhaps the rest of the castle's inhabitants as well.”

“Well, there's only one problem with that,” Hanji says, “I don't know anything about spells or magic.”

“Oh, um, we have a very big library,” Armin adds. “I was looking over some of the books last night. I might have what you'll need in my room.”

“Tea first,” Levi says, “then business.”

*

When Kenny is tossed into his former cell, he says, “Wow, I can tell Levi's been here.” This cell is immaculate! It even has a cot with a few blankets instead of just straw and a chamber pot for his waste. “Thanks, grandpa,” he quips when the Titan slams the door shut. Eren growls at him but that just makes Kenny laugh even harder.

Levi finishes steeping the tea as Hanji sits pouring over the books Armin brought to her. She finds everything so fascinating. She tries out a few minor spells. They actually work so she soon moves on to the bigger stuff. She changes her cup of tea into brandy but doesn't much care for the taste. 

“It needs refining,” she says softly. When the Titan returns, they can still hear Kenny's laughter. “Well, you made someone happy,” she says to the Titan before sticking her nose back inside the book again. Eren hisses again and Hanji starts laughing saying, “Yes, he is an ass.”

“He's my uncle,” Levi adds.

“Oh, so you're the one we're here to rescue. Nice meeting you,” Hanji states while looking over at the short man. 

“Rescue? He really talked you into coming?”

“More of not staying,” she says. “Once I heard how dangerous it was, I had to come. And Prince Eren...grandpa, I'm working on figuring out how to save you, too.”

“I still don't believe we're related,” the Titan adds.

Just then Hanji gets an eerie feeling like she's being watched. She looks up into the window and sees the big grey spider. She knows this is another 'human' and so that's not whose eyes she feels. Slowly she gets up and begins wondering around the kitchen. Something is calling to her. She looks over at the tea kettle...no, but behind the kettle...yes. She picks up the little set of salt and pepper shakers. The salt shaker...it's...there's something...

“What's wrong,” Armin asks.

“There was someone very sick living here,” Hanji states. 

Eren's ears perk up at that. 

“Someone deathly ill,” she says while turning the little girl figurine over in her hands. “I have to find the cure before I can do anything else,” she whispers as she sets the little salt shaker back down again. Turning toward the others she asks, “What's for dinner? I'm starved!”

*

A couple of week later, Levi heads to the barn to check on Jean again. He finds the horse standing, fidgeting, acting as though he needs to get out for a few minutes before his burst. “Do you want to go for a run?”

“Something's bothering me,” Jean admits. “I can't put my finger...or hoof on it. Yes, I would like to go for a run. You'll come with me, right?”

Levi looks up into the stallion's eyes saying, “Of course. Come on. Let's get out of here,” he adds after saddling him. Levi mounts him, sitting high in the saddle, and says, “I'm ready whenever you are.”

Jean takes off toward the river again. He likes that big open area. What he's sensing yet still hasn't seen is the small pack of wolves hiding at the edge of the forest. They position themselves strategically in order to take down their prey swiftly. After a good run, Levi dismounts Jean in order to remove his bit so he can feast on the green grass. That's when Levi also senses something. He stops stroking Jean's pelt and turns his gaze toward the forest's edge. The beast begin their run, heading right for the horse. Jean sees a streak of grey and immediately bolts.

Levi manages to take down the first beast quite easily since it wasn't expecting him to be a threat. Jean is racing hard back towards the castle when Levi shouts, “No. Towards me, Jean. Come toward me and pass me on my left side.”

Jean realizes that Levi is asking him to draw the animals toward himself. He circles and races toward Levi passing him on his left. That's when Levi lunges for the second wolf. This one isn't nearly so easy to kill. He grapples with the beast but still manages to plunge his knife in up to the hilt. It takes a moment for the animal to realize it's been fatally injured before it stills completely. Jean is still running for his life from the last of the pack when Levi shouts again, “Alright. Pass me on my right.”

Jean turns again and rushes toward Levi. Levi barely gets his hands on this last wolf. The beast is tripped, however, and there's a stand off between it and Levi. It lunges toward the man, knocking him to the ground. It's teeth are fighting for purchase near his throat. It finally gets a hold of Levi's shoulder before sinking its canines in deep. Levi lets out a cry that makes Jean cringe. He comes to Levi's aid. Using his hoofed front feet, Jean kicks the wolf, just dislodging it's hold on Levi's shoulder. That's when Levi manages to stab the beast in its side, piercing it's heart. Finally, the beast stills and Levi pushes it off of himself and he staggers to stand. He falls to the ground, shoulder dripping with gore. 

“Fuck,” Jean quips as he tries to get Levi onto his back. 

“You're safe now,” Levi tells him right before he passes out from the pain.

“Damn it,” Jean says as he tries again to get the man onto his own back. “You can't die on me now,” Jean says in frustration. “Not after taking on three wolves with just a pocket knife. Come on, Levi. Grab onto me,” he pleads but it's no use. Levi can't hear him. Jean is struggling, trying his damnedest when he realizes he has hands! He grabs Levi up and tosses him over his shoulder. After all their runs together, Jean has developed some awesome muscle mass so he carries Levi while running all the way back to the castle on foot. “Open up, Ymir,” he shouts as he nears the back gate. He rushes through the pantry into the kitchen and tosses the man onto the sofa. He shouts, “Armin, come quickly! I need your help!”

Hearing the desperate plea, Armin rushes into the room. Seeing Jean the human standing before him, he knows something incredible has happened. Seeing the man's worried expression, though, has him wondering...then he sees the blood on Jean's clothes. “Are you injured?”

“No, but Levi was attacked by a wolf. Please, help him. He saved me and I won't forgive myself if he dies.”

Armin fetches some clean water and some rags from the kitchen. That's when Hanji enters asking, “What is all the shouting about?”

“Oh, good. Ms. Hanji, have you come across any healing spells yet,” Armin asks.

“A couple...oh, my,” she says when she catches sight of Levi laying with his shirt torn open and the skin on his shoulder in shreds. Hanji rushes to the raven haired man and quickly assesses this injuries. “Armin, I need you to find some 'Witch's Vein'. It looks like stringy white hair and grows mostly on tree trunks in the forest. Extend your hands," she tells Armin and when he does, Hanji chants a spell to keep him from getting hurt by the substance. "There. That should keep you from becoming ensnared by it yourself. The 'Witch's Vein' will pull out any poison the beast that attacked Levi may have been infected with. And you...”

“Jean,” he says.

“Yes. Jean, I need you to get me some herbs from the garden.” She runs down the list for him and tells him exactly what to look for. Hanji begins to cleanse the wound with the fresh water Armin had brought as she waits for the other two to return. She begins chanting a spell to stop any infection from spreading further. The Titan enters and seeing the short stack's injuries asks, “Will he live?”

Hanji looks up seeing the look of concern on the giant's face saying, “Yes. Don't worry. He should be fine.” She says this with confidence yet her own thoughts are quite different. She's never seen a wound like this before. And she can tell those were no ordinary beast. They must have also been transformed when they entered the Enchanted Forest in search of food.

Jean is the first to return. He has everything the witch requested. Hanji makes a paste with the ingredients and administers the mix right into the wounds. When Armin arrives, she places the 'Witches Vein' over the injury, hoping to draw out any poison. Hanji continues to chant when the Titan says, “You too, horse-face? Fuck, who is this guy that he can turn two of you back into humans?!”

Jean smiles back at Eren. He doesn't know what the giant said, but he knows the tone and is sure it was some sort of exasperation at seeing he is human again. “Hey, this guy saved my life quite literally. I owe him a lot.”

Sasha scurries in with Connie close on her heels. “We heard shouting, what's happened?” Seeing Jean standing on two legs she quips, “Oh, my god. You too?”

“Yes. Levi saved me from three wolves. The man is a hero!”

“Three?” Armin asks, impressed. “Holy shit, he is a hero!”

“Yes and all he had was his nerve and a small pocket knife,” Jean assures them. “You should have see it, Eren. This guy is amazing!”

Eren nods. Yes, he can tell the Levi is extraordinary. Just then they hear a moan. “He's waking up,” Hanji says as she removes the 'Witch's Vein'. “Levi...Levi, can you hear me?”

He nods slowly. “What happened,” he asks.

“You killed the wolves but the last one bit you,” Jean states. “Hanji has been helping you.” Levi nods again.

He blinks a couple of times before looking up at all the faces hovering overhead. When he sees the talk blonde with the long face he asks, “Jean?”

“Yes, Levi. Your bravery not only saved me but also changed me. Thank you.”

Levi nods again before closing his eyes and saying, “I need to sleep now.”

Hanji smiles at that as she covers him in the blanket that is draped over the back of the sofa. “Sleep, dear sir. You've earned it.”

*

Toward evening, Levi wakes to a throbbing pain in his shoulder. “Fuck, do you have anything for the pain,” he asks of anyone within earshot. 

Armin quickly heads into the kitchen to find anything that will take the edge off. Looking through the cupboards, Armin finds a jar with white Willow bark inside. He brews a tea for Levi using the Willow bark saying, “The taste might suck but it will help with the pain.”

Levi drinks the potion and doesn't even complain about the taste. Within a few minutes, he does feel the difference. “Thanks,” he says while handing the empty cup back to the blonde. 

Armin smiles then makes Levi another cup, just in case. He sets the tea down and asks, “Is there anything else I can do to help?” 

Levi pats the seat beside him saying, “Sure. Tell me a story. A true story about this castle.”

“Sure,” Armin says with such enthusiasm that even Jean's ear perk up. He joins the other two and listens as Armin spins a tale of intrigue. 

Hanji is at the kitchen table pouring over her spell books when she comes across a particularly interesting spell. It's called: Summon Recall, and it's used to summon spells that were cast by other witches. It's not a complicated spell but it is interesting. According to the book a witch can call on the experience from another witch, even if deceased, in order to keep the knowledge from being lost forever. She knows that Armin is busy with his story so she begins searching the desk in the living room to find what she needs. She finds a blank writing book and a pencil. She takes them back into the kitchen and sets them both on the table. 

Placing her hand over the book's cover, she cast the spell by saying, “I call upon my grandmother Hanji. I need the sum of your knowledge written in plain English with easy to understand directions and cross references to make finding the specific information I need easier.” She repeats this request several times and keeps repeating it until the book under her hand cools to her touch. When she looks again, she sees that the pencil is barely a nub and that the book feels thicker. She opens it to find that yes, the pages are filled with writing but the print is tiny. So tiny, it's barely legible. She didn't count on her grandmother's knowledge to be so vast that it barely fits in just one book. She smiles when she realizes that it is easy to read and understand. 

It only takes her a few minutes to find the spell to reverse the curse on the castle. It takes her a few more minutes to find the cure she needs to heal the sickly human. The problem is that she needs ingredients that she cannot get...the semen of the son. Since the transformation made Eren into a Titan, the Titan has no genitalia so retrieving his seed is impossible. 

Hanji puzzles over this. How can she retrieve something that no longer exits? She closes the book and decides the join the others in the living room. While there, she decides to check Levi's wound. To her surprise, he is nearly healed. “Oh, my,” she says, thus, getting the attention of the others. “Your wound...it's practically gone.”

The others look on in amazement. Since Armin has paused telling his story, Hanji looks at him saying, “Reversing the spell on the castle is easy enough but I have a much more pressing matter. Armin, I need Eren's seed. As a Titan, he doesn't have any...”

“...genitalia but you need his semen,” Armin states as his big brain begins working the problem. After a few minutes, Armin says, “Well, you're his decent, aren't you? Can't you just use your own blood or something? I mean, as his decedent it's like you're his living seed.”

Hanji's face lights up as she says, “That's brilliant! Oh, my god, why didn't I think of that?!”

Armin blushes at the complement and continues with his story. 

Hanji heads back into the kitchen. She calls Eren and has him go for a run and return to the castle. When he does, she collects his sweat and a sample of his saliva. She then pricks her own finger and drips a couple of drops of blood into the mixture. Next she sets the little salt shaker into the bowl and chants a few words to aid the healing process. 

Seeing this, Eren asks, “What are you doing that for?”

“This person is very sick,” she states. “Whoever this is needs my help. Now I can perform the ritual to change the rest of the inhabitants back to who they were before the curse took hold. Eren, thank you for trusting me,” Hanji adds with a smile.

Eren looks pleased with having been acknowledged. Hanji takes the little figurine mixture up to one of the bedrooms and begins the ritual to restore the castle. She sets the figurine in the bowl on one of the beds and says, “Please, let this work.” She realizes she likes being a witch but once everything is back to normal, she herself may also return to 'normal' which means she'll lose her ability to cast spells.

With a touch of humility, she begins reciting the mantra. After a few moments, a wave of power surges in and around the castle. She continues chanting until she sees the figurine of the little girl salt shaker begin to tremble. Another few moments and the figurine turns into a woman. Eren is there watching as she sees his mother's form come into view. He rushes to the bed saying, “Mom, are you okay?”

Carla blinks a couple of times then says, “I feel pretty good, Eren, but why are you naked?”

Eren looks down to see that he is indeed naked and fully human. Hanji reaches for a throw that is laying across the chair beside the nightstand and says, “You might want to put this on.”

“And you are,” Carla asks.

“Your great grand daughter, dear lady,” Hanji replies with a smile. Seeing the look of confusion on the woman's face she says, “It's a long story.”

“Well, it's definitely something I'll want to hear,” Carla adds quickly. Eren is crying at this point. 

Just then they hear footsteps running towards them as Mikasa dashes through the door. “Eren...Mom! Oh, my god, you're both okay,” she states as she rushes into the room. She hugs her trembling brother then reaches out a hand to her mother saying, “Hanji, thank you for giving me my family back.”

A minute more and the rest of the house hold comes rushing into the room. All human and everyone relieved that Carla is back among the living.

“My Queen, do you have any instructions for the rest of us,” Reiner asks the moment he burst in through the door.

Carla sighs. She looks about her self saying, “Only this...relax and enjoy the rest of the day.”

Belatedly, a very confused Grisha walks into the room. He says, “Okay, how did I get here and why was I sitting on top of the stove?”

Hanji smile at that. She knew the pepper shaker had also once been human but he wasn't ill or in need of her help other than needing to be changed like the rest, so she left him where he stood.

“It's a long story,” Armin insists. “I'll tell you, my King, but I should get dinner started. And that's when the rest of them realize that they are famished!

Levi looks around at the friends, employees, and family thinking what an interesting bunch they are. That's when his eyes lay on the messy haired brunette with the throw wrapped around his waist. “You must be Prince Eren,” he states.

“Yes, and you're the hero that fought off three wolves with only a pocket knife. I would be grateful if you remained on as one of our guards.”

“What about my uncle Kenny. He's still a prisoner in your dungeon.”

“You took his uncle Kenny as a prisoner, Eren,” Carla asks.

“The man attacked me, mom,” Eren states firmly. “What was I suppose to do?”

She smiles over at her son saying, “Alright. We'll see what we can do about that later. Right now, Armin, you and Sasha search the garden for sustenance. We have quite a few mouths to feed.”

Armin nods. Hanji notices she's still wearing a witches robes. She tries a minor spell of changing the dots on her cloak to stars. It works easily. She smiles thinking that her grandmother's spell must have known who and what she really is. She is a witch and proud of it.


End file.
